THE MASTER CAT, OR PUSS IN BOOTS

From the Tales of Mother Goose By Charles Perrault

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nce upon a time there was a miller who left no more riches to the three
sons he had than his mill, his ass, and his cat. The division was soon
made. Neither the lawyer nor the attorney was sent for. They would soon
have eaten up all the poor property. The eldest had the mill, the second
the ass, and the youngest nothing but the cat.

The youngest, as we can understand, was quite unhappy at having so poor
a share.

"My brothers," said he, "may get their living handsomely enough by
joining their stocks together; but, for my part, when I have eaten up my
cat, and made me a muff of his skin, I must die of hunger."

The Cat, who heard all this, without appearing to take any notice, said
to him with a grave and serious air:--

"Do not thus afflict yourself, my master; you have nothing else to do
but to give me a bag, and get a pair of boots made for me, that I may
scamper through the brambles, and you shall see that you have not so
poor a portion in me as you think."

Puss in Boots Fairy Tale Facts

Perrault's Puss in Boots fairy tale is the most well known story in western folklore that features an animal as helper. However, there are stories from Indian folklore of helpful animals dating back centuries before Perrault's version.

The Puss in Boots fairy tale has been adapted many times on film but Puss in Boots is most commonly recognised today as a character in the Shrek movies.

There are tales of a helpful cat who serves its master before the Perrault version of the fairy tale but they are different stories and it's unlikely Perrault was even aware they existed.

Though the Cat's master did not think much of what he said, he had seen
him play such cunning tricks to catch rats and mice--hanging himself by
the heels, or hiding himself in the meal, to make believe he was
dead--that he did not altogether despair of his helping him in his
misery. When the Cat had what he asked for, he booted himself very
gallantly, and putting his bag about his neck, he held the strings of it
in his two forepaws, and went into a warren where was a great number of
rabbits. He put bran and sow-thistle into his bag, and, stretching out
at length, as if he were dead, he waited for some young rabbits, not yet
acquainted with the deceits of the world, to come and rummage his bag
for what he had put into it.

Scarcely was he settled but he had what he wanted. A rash and foolish
young rabbit jumped into his bag, and Monsieur Puss, immediately drawing
close the strings, took him and killed him at once. Proud of his prey,
he went with it to the palace, and asked to speak with the King. He was
shown upstairs into his Majesty's apartment, and, making a low bow to
the King, he said:--

"I have brought you, sire, a rabbit which my noble Lord, the Master of
Carabas" (for that was the title which Puss was pleased to give his
master) "has commanded me to present to your Majesty from him."

"Tell thy master," said the King, "that I thank him, and that I am
pleased with his gift."

Another time he went and hid himself among some standing corn, still
holding his bag open; and when a brace of partridges ran into it, he
drew the strings, and so caught them both. He then went and made a
present of these to the King, as he had done before of the rabbit which
he took in the warren. The King, in like manner, received the partridges
with great pleasure, and ordered his servants to reward him.

The Cat continued for two or three months thus to carry his Majesty,
from time to time, some of his master's game. One day when he knew that
the King was to take the air along the riverside, with his daughter, the
most beautiful princess in the world, he said to his master:--

"If you will follow my advice, your fortune is made. You have nothing
else to do but go and bathe in the river, just at the spot I shall show
you, and leave the rest to me."

Charles Perrault Factoids

Some of the folk tales that Perrault used as the basis of his fairy tales were already a part of oral tradition across Europe at the time. The tales were only passed on orally until writers like Perrault wrote and published the stories.

Perrault was 67 when he wrote Tales and Stories of the Past with Morals and the subtitle, Tales of Mother Goose

Charles Perrault spent the rest of his life following the release of the Tales of Mother Goose promoting the study of the arts and literature.